Method and apparatus for saturating fibrous materials in the manufacture of roofing



June 4, 1929. E,v SCHUTTE 1.715.392

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SATURATING FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE, MANUFACTURE OF ROOFING Filed July 2, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet June 2 A. E. SCHUTTE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SATURATING FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ROOFING Filed July 2, 1925 4 Sheets+$heet 2 Zwe%w Q qZfZJZkZZZ k%@dl I I I HHUHUHHHHHHHHHHI I HHH 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 E w w m. 2 w w 5 u J E d u e A m June 4, 1929;

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SATURATING FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF. ROOFING June 92 A. E. SCHUTTE 1.715.392 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR S URATING FIBROUS MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACT RE OF ROOFING Filed July 2 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 w ww/f ww/ w/wfiww/ w Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STA TES- AUGUST E. SCHUTTE, F NORTHBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLINT- KOTE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

- Marne]: ND APPARATUS For. sA'rUna'rINo rmnous MATERIALS IN THE mu- .FACTURE on noorm'o.

Application flied July 2,

This invention relates to' the saturation of fibrous materials with waterproofing agents, and is more particularly concerned with the saturation of felt. paper, or equivalent fibrous material with asphaltor other like bituminous material in the manufacture of roofing.

In the manufacture of roofing, a sheet of,

' fibrous material is ordinarily saturated by passing it through a bath of asphalt and then through squeeze rolls, which not only serve to squeeze excess asphalt from the sheet, but also to propel or draw it through'the asphalt.

I have found that such squeezing and propolling rolls not only remove the superficial asphalt on the surfaces of the sheet, but through their squeezing or compressing ac tion causes the asphalt contained in the interstitial spaces within the felt to be removed therefrom, and the felt, upon resuming its normal thickness after the squeezing action, has a considerable portion of its interstitial spaces devoid of saturant. Heretofore employing asphalt of a specific gravity ofabout 1 as the saturating compound, it has been found that the felt ordinarily retains 125% to 150% of asphalt, based on the dry weight of felt, in the saturated felt.

For increasing the amount of asphalt in the felt, past ractices have been directed toward the use 0 vacuum or pressure in saturation, or a repeated saturating action, accomplished as for example by passing the felt through the asphalt a number of times. Such practice involves the use of expensive and complicated machinery, and frequently, due to the prolonged saturating action, the felt is scorched, becomes brittle; and its roofing qualities are thus impaired. 1

It is. of course obvious that the bitumen or other saturating compound in the felt imparts thereto its waterproofing qualities, and the more saturating compound the felt contains, the more waterproof and satisfactory the saturated felt will be for roofing or similar purposes. Hence the object of this invention is to provide an efiicient methodand apparatus for saturating felt, so that its constituent fibers and the interstitial spaces or voids therebetween will contain a maximum amount of saturantf after saturation. I

In the pre mnt invention, the mechanism for propelling the sheet through the saturating Figure 1.

1925. Serial No. 41,110.

of the felt. This is accomplished by passing the felt after saturation between scrapers which are arranged to scrape superficial saturant from its surfacessubstantially without squeezing or compressing action. The propelling rolls are arranged at a point beyond the scrapers, and the saturated sheet is cooled or chilled before reaching this point, thus causing the saturant in the felt to congeal and eliminating the tendency for the removal thereof by the propelling rolls. The scrapers are arranged at a point beyond the saturating tank, and provision is also made to cool or chill the felt without congealing the saturant before the scraping operation, so that any vapor or gas in the sheet after passage through the saturant is condensed or cooled, forming a partial vacuumtherewithin and causing the saturant to be drawn thereinto from its surface. The chilling or cooling actions may be accomplished by allowing sufficient time of contact with the atmosphere, but is accomplished in the present invention by causing a suitable cooling medium to play on the sheet.

According to the present invention, moreover, the sheet is assed through the saturant in a horizontal direction, and suitable scraping devices are arranged to act on the under face of the sheet, so that any air or vapor bubbles which accumulate thereon are scraped to its edges, thus facilitating the entrance of the asphalt thereinto. To diminish the tendency of bubble formation on the sheet during its passage through the saturant, a portion of the air and moisture contained herein is removed by heating the felt before introducing it into the saturant.

The invention may best be understood from the following descrlption of a preferred embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation, partly in section, of a saturating apparatus embody ing the present invention. 7

Figure 2 represents a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 isan .end elevationof theappa- "laws as viewed from the right.

Figure 4 is a section on the lines H of Figure 5 is a somewhat conventional and diagrammatic representation illustrating the entire saturating process.

The process, briefly stated. consists in passing a sheet of felt of indeterminate length,

which has preferably been subjected to a heat ing action, through a tank containing a normally solid bitumen, such as asphalt 1n fluid state. The felt is guided guide andftension rolls, and during its passage therethrough. air or steam bubbles acis passed therefrom through the usual propelling rolls, which act to draw the sheet through the saturant, but without causing any material to be squeezed therefrom.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent a pair of spaced frame supports on which a roll of felt or paper 3, ofindefinite length, is adapted to be mounted. As shown, the roll is carried by a cylindrical rod 4, which is supported at both its ends by the forked upper bearing portions 5 and G of the supports. The roll of .paper may be steadied or tensioned in unwinding by supplying frictional contact thereto. For this purpose, straps or belts 7 and 8, suitably secured at their upper ends and respectively weighted at their lower ends by the weights 9 and 10, rub against the paper near its side edges during its unwinding. The paper passes over a guide roll 11 and under adjustable guide andtension rolls 12'and 13, which may be raised out of and lowered into a saturating tank 14. To this end, each guide. roll is journaled in a pair of vertical movable bearings 15 and 16. When the saturating operation is initially commenced, the guide rolls 12 and 13 are raised out of the tank in the dotted positions shown in Figure 1, the felt being passed thereunder as indicated by the dotted line as. The rolls 12 and 13 are then lowered into position, the felt being submerged in the saturant.

The bearings 15 and 16 are supported respectively by a pair of threaded shafts 17 and 18, respectively, journaled at their lower ends in a pair of step bearings 19 and 20 located at the bottom of the tank, and at their upper ends in'a pair of bearings 21 and 22, on transverse framework 23 above thetank. The vertical movement of the bearings 15 and 16 is effected While maintaining the transverse alinement of the guide roll 13. The shafts 17 and 18 are .accordin ly provided respectively at their upper on s with beveledgea rs 24 and 25 meshing respectively with beveled gears 26 and 27 fixed to a transverse shaft horizontally through the saturant by a pair of adj ustahle' 31 journaled in bearings 28, 29 and 30, supported by the fra1ne-\\-'ork 23. Rotation of the shaft 31 is effected as by therotation of a hand-wheel 32, fixed thereto at an outer end. The bearings 15 and 16, together with the guide roll journaled therein, may thus be lowered into or raised out of the tank, by rotation of the hand-wheel 32. For taking up the thrust of the guide rolls on the vertical shafts 17 and 18 due to the tension of the paper, the bearings 15and 16 are preferably respective ly provided at their outer ends with lugs 34 and 35, which engage guides or ways 36 and 37 on-the walls of the tank. Any other suitably arranged rolls may be employed for causing the sheet to travel through the saturant in the tank, and other means may be employed for moving the rolls to permit the threading of the felt or paper.

The tank 14 is supplied with fluid asphalt figuration and suitably secured to the bottom.

of the tank, engage the under face of the sheet and scrape the bubbles to the edges thereof. The. saturated sheet may then be cooled or chilled'prior to the scraping of excess saturant' from its surfaces.

The cooling means may act to cause air to flow in contact with the sheet and as shown it comprises a nozzle member .44 having an open end facing and in proximity to the surface of 'the sheet, and through which air may be caused topass, preferably being drawn in, though if desired it might be forced outwardly therefrom, by means of the fau or blower 45. The conduit 46 between the nozzle 44' and the fan is shown as provided sheet, in a condition to be scraped, then passes to a pair of angularly adjustable scrapers or doctors 50 and 51. Each scraper consists of a board fixed to a shaft 52, journaled in bearings 53 and 54 mounted on frame-work or uprights 90 of the apparatus. The shaft shaft 52 is provided with a handle 57 adapted to engage the teeth of a segmental ratchet 59 fixed to vertical framework 90. By pull- =ing the handle 57 and the shaft 52 against the action of the screen, the handle 57 is released from the engaging notch or tooth in the ratchet wheel 59, and the doctor or scraper 50 may be turned to the desired angle. The

handle is then released and made to engage the desired notch or tooth in the ratchet 55 After the scraping action, the sheet is cooledin' a manner to congeal the asphalt prior to passage through the propelling rolls.

The cooling means comprises a nozzle 60, from or to which air is passed through a conduit 61 leading from the conduit 46. Although I have shown only one nozzle at one face of the sheet, I may provide a nozzle, as shown by i the dotted outline at 60", to cause air currents co-acting propelling rolls and 66, jourv naled respectively in bearings 67 and 68 and 69 and 70, supported by overhead frame work 95.

The propelling rolls 65 and 66 and the centrifugal fan or blower 45'may be driven by common driving means, as by a motor 71, suitably supported by the frame-work 95. To this end, the centrifugal blower 45 is provided with a shaft 72, journaled in the bearings 7,3 and 74, to which is fixed a belt pulley 7 5,-which isdriven by a cross belt 76 from a belt pulley 77 fixed to the motor shaft 78 journaled at one end in a bearing 79. The

propelling roll 65 is provided at one end with a sprocket wheel 80 driven by a chain 81 from.

a sprocket 82 fixedto the end of the motor shaft 78. The propelling roll 65 drives the co-acting roll 66 positively at a peripheral speed equal thereto. For this purpose, the

opposite end of the roll 65 is provided with a gear 83 meshing with a gear '84 fixed to the corresponding end of-the roller 66.

I will now refer to Figure 5, which is a diagrammatic and conventional illustration of the entire process of saturation and the apparatus employed therefor, to further describe the features of my invention. The paper or felt 3 is preferably preheated prior to the saturation thereof with the asphalt. The heating may be accomplished by passing the felt 3 over a plurality of heating rolls 97,

' of asphalt.

97, 97, prior to its passage through the'bath Such heating eliminates to a practicable extent a large portion of the water in the felt (which may amount to about or eliminates a portion of the air contained in the interstitial spaces of the felt. The preheated felt then passes over the guide roll 11 downwardly into the asphalt containing tank 14, under the guide and tension roll 12, thence horizontally through the tank and under the guide and tension roll 13 and upwardly out of the tank.

During the saturation of the felt by the molten asphalt, the greater portion of-the air and moisture contained therein is expelled therefrom and displayed by the asphalt satu'rant. A portion of the expelled gases tends to accumulate as bubbleson the under surface of the sheet, clinging thereto and tending to prevent the displacement of the gases in the felt by the asphalt. While the tendencv for such bubble formation is materially re need by the preheating of the felt prior to passage through the asphalt, Ihave also made vision to remove such bubble formation w ich accumulates on the under surface of the sheet during the saturating action, and show the pair of spaced V-shaped scrapers 42 and 43 acting on the under surface of the sheet to scrape the accumulated bubbles to the edges of the sheet and thus facilitate a more perfect saturating action.

After passage throughthe tank, the felt containing unavoidable excess saturant on its surfaces is cooled in a manner to condense or 0001 any gases contained therein while still maintaining the fluidity of the asphalt, such cooling, tendingto causea contraction of the asphalt and steam and gases in the voids and to form a partial vacuum within the sheet and thus to draw excess asphalt on its surfaces therewithin. To this end, the saturated sheet is cooled by air drawn th'ereover'by the nozzle 44 and is then passed by a pair of doctors 5% to 6% of the weight thereof) and rarefies' If the sheet were now passed through the propelling rolls which serve to propel or draw it through the saturating tank, a substan'tial amount of asphalt contained therein would be squeezed therefrom, and its water" proofing qualities would thus be impaired. Hence, in accordance with the present inven tion, the saturant-is cooled in a manner 'to facture of shingles, or it may be rolled up and employed for roofing.

It is to be noted that the air nozzle 44 is spaced from the tank and that the scrapers and 51 are spaced from the nozzle 44. Similarly, the nozzle is spaced from the scrapers 50 and the propelling rolls and 66 are spaced from the nozzle 60, so that not only is the asphalt-saturated sheet cooled by the air drawn thereover by the nozzles, but also by contact with the air of the surrounding atmosphere. In this connection, it may be stated that, while I have supplied and de-' scribed positive means for cooling the saturated sheet, the asphalt in the impregnated sheet may be caused to congeal and equally efficient results may be realized by allowing sutiicicnt time of contact of the saturated sheet after its passage from the tank 14 with the atmosphere prior to its passage through the propelling rolls. Similarly, the saturated sheet may be cooled to the desired degree by allowing it to contact with the atmosphere for a sufficient period of time prior to its passage by the scrapers.

I have found that by employing asphalt having a specific gravity of about 1, I am enabled to retain about 200% to 250% the weight of asphalt based on the weight of felt in the impregnated or saturated felt, by the practice of my invention, which could not be accomplished efficiently or satisfactorily by prior practices.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that it is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from its spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In the manufacture of roofing, a process which comprises passing a sheet of fibrous material through a bath of heated molten asphalt and scraping the surface of said sheet below the level of the bath to remove gas bubbles forming thereon and clinging thereto in its passage through the bath.

2. In the manufacture of roofing, a process which comprises the following successive steps: heating a sheet of fibrous material to expel a portion of the moisture and air contained therein; propelling said sheet through a bath of hot molten asphalt; scraping the surface of said sheet while in the bath to remove gas bubbles formed thereon and clinging thereto; cooling said sheet after it leaves the bath to condense or cool gases and vapor contained therein and to cause asphalt on the surfaces of said sheet to be forced thereinto; scraping excess asphalt from only the surfaces of said sheet; cooling said sheet in a manner to congeal theas halt contained therein; the application 0 power to said sheet to cause its travel through said bath by being at a cooled portion of the sheet and being such as to avoid squeezing the asphalt from said sheet. i

3. In the manufacture of roofing, a process which comprises propelling a sheet of fibrous material through a bath of asphalt; scraping the under side otthe sheet while in the bath to remove bubbles accumulating thereon; cooling said sheet; and then scraping excess asphalt from its surfaces.

4. Steps in theprocess of manufacturing roofing, which comprise feeding a sheet of fibrous material through a pool of heat-liquefied saturant, cooling the sheet to a temperature above the congelation point'of the saturant, scraping excess saturant from the surfaces of the sheet, and further cooling the sheet below said congelation point, the sheet being engaged by feeding means at a point of its progress subsequent to its passage through both said cooling steps. I

5. Steps in the process of manufacturing roofing, which comprise drawing a sheetof fibrous material through a pool of heatdiquefied saturant and successively past a cooling device, a scraper, and a second cooling device, the stretch of sheet between the surface of the pool and the point of application of the drawing force being maintained free from physical contact with solid objects other than said scraper.

6. In an apparatus of the-character set forth, a tank containing a supply of molten asphalt, heating means for maintaining the fluidity of said asphalt in said tank, guide rolls to guide a sheet of fibrous material through said tank,and scrapers locatedi'n the tank and below the level of the asphalt therein to scrape therefrom bubbles clinging thereto.

7 In a saturating apparatus of the character set forth, a tank for containing a supply of molten asphalt, means for guiding a sheet of fibrous material through said asphalt, means for propelling or drawing said sheet through said asphalt, and means for scrap ing from said sheet gas bubbles accumulating on the surface thereof, in its passage through said asphalt. v

8. In a saturating apparatus of the character set forth, a tank for containing a supply of molten asphalt, means for guiding a sheet of fibrous material through said asphalt,

means for propelling or drawing said sheet through said asphalt, means for scraping gas bubbles accumulating on the surface of said sheet in its passage through said asphalt therefrom, means for scraping excess material from the surfaces of the sheet located between said tank and said propelling means,

of molten asphalt, means for guiding a'sheet of fibrous material through said asphalt, means for propelling or drawing said sheet through said asphalt located beyond the tank, means for heating said sheet prior to passage through said asphalt, means for scraping gas bubbles accumulating on the surfaces of said sheet in its passage through said asphalt therefrom, means for scraping excess material from the surfaces of the sheet located between said tank and said propelling means, and means for cooling said sheet arranged between said scraping means and said tank and between said scraping means and said propelling means.

10. In a saturating apparatus of the character set forth, a tank for containing a supply of molten asphalt, steam coils located at the bottom of said tank, adjustable guide and tension rolls for guiding a sheet of fibrous material in a substantially horizontal direction through said asphalt, propelling rolls located beyond the tank for drawing said sheet through said asphalt, and scrapers of a V configuration in said tank adapted to engage the under face of said sheet to remove therefrom gas bubbles accumulating thereon in its passage through said asphalt.

11. In a saturating apparatus of the character set forth, a tank for containing a supply "of molten asphalt, adjustable guide and tension rolls for guidin a sheet of fibrous material in a substantia y horizontal direction through said asphalt, scrapers of a V configuration in said tank, scrapers adapted'to engage the surfaces of said sheet to remove excess asphalt therefrom, located between said tank and said propelling rolls, nozzles ar-. ranged to pass a cooling medium over the surface of said sheet between said scrapers and said tank and between said scrapers and between said propelling rolls, and an air blower communicating with said nozzle.

12. In a saturating apparatus of the character set forth, a tank for containing a supply of molten asphalt, steam coils submerged in said asphalt, adjustable guide and tension rolls for guiding a sheet of material through said asphalt in a generally horizontal direction, propelling rolls for drawing said sheet through said asphalt, heating rolls arranged before said tank and over which said sheetpasses, scrapers of a V configuration in said tank adapted to engage the under surface of said sheet, scrapers or doctors adapted to engage the surfaces of said sheet to re move excess asphalt therefrom located between said tank and propelling rolls, nozzles arranged to pass a cooling medium over the surface of said sheet between said scrapers and said tank and between said scrapers and said propelling rolls, and an air blower communicating with said nozzles.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature. I I

AUGUST E. SCHUTTE. 

